WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
MEET RAV MATHARU, ONE HALF OF THE CLOTHSURGEON DUO WHO BLEND THE BEST OF BESPOKE TAILORING WITH A DOSE OF STREETWEAR STYLE
نشر قبل 237 أيام
15 دقيقة قراءة
Clothsurgeon, formed of Rav and Parv Matharu, is a groundbreaking brand that applies traditional tailoring techniques to streetwear. We caught up with Rav – who began his unconventional career playing for Leeds United – to learn how luxury meets leisure.
RAV, WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FASHION WHEN YOU WERE A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER?
I was always quite experimental. In locker-room culture, you have people that lead the trends, while others instinctively push back on your choices and then replicate them a few months later. I always wanted to be ahead, and more cultured. My obsession with product started with football boots, then naturally moved into trainers and sportswear. When I started earning decent money from the beautiful game I would shop at stores like HIP, Flannels and Strand in Leeds, buying brands like Evisu, Duffer, Stüssy, Comme Des GarÇons, Raf Simmons and Prada. With my spare time, I would also hand-bespoke my own garments. I remember hand-stitching Burberry handkerchiefs behind the rips of my LVC denim!
IN 2022, YOU BECAME THE FIRST EVER SOUTH ASIAN DESIGNER TO OPEN A BESPOKE STREETWEAR STORE ON SAVILE ROW. HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND INFORM YOUR CREATIVE APPROACH?
I have never approached anything leading with South Asian, as I have always wanted to be known and respected for my ability within the chosen industry, whether that’s football or fashion. When my community sees a British Indian in those spaces, they see someone who looks like them in a space they may have felt was not for them. We are breaking down barriers and I’m very proud of that. We are also simultaneously changing the perception of streetwear and the idea of what British bespoke tailoring is. I have been up and down the Row for the last 15 years, having endless talks with tailors, buying cloth from luxury fabric merchants, and just being inspired by the craftsmanship that comes with the iconic street. This has truly informed my approach to clothsurgeon, which is a bespoke luxury contemporary menswear brand rooted in sports and street culture but harmonised with an obsession about craft. It comes from an authentic place, amplified by passion and purpose.
YOU’RE A DUO WITH CLEARLY DEFINED ROLES. WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHAT MAKES YOUR PARTNERSHIP WORK?
The partnership works because we are partners! Essentially, we have a shared end goal. We understand each other’s strengths and skills, and we then apply them to the right areas of our business. Parv works on strategy, setting clear goals driven by my creative direction and vision. I’m genuinely inspired by how Parv is incredibly good at what I may find a little more challenging.
WHAT DO YOUR KIDS MAKE OF YOUR WORK (AND YOUR WARDROBE?)
Saachi, our four year old, doesn’t understand just yet what we do. However, she’s very accessories-focused: she has a serious array of headbands and bracelets and she loves to wear odd socks. As much as it messes with my OCD, I love that she is expressing herself through her fashion choices. Mia, who is eight, is a creative through and through. She is an artist! She loves seeing an initial drawing and then seeing it come to fruition. She designed a piece for Olivia Rodrigo, her current idol, that we then made and gave to her. She also gives me style advice and constantly tells me to wear more colour.
DO YOU TAKE INSPIRATION OR CREATIVITY FROM ANY ADDITIONAL DISCIPLINES, LIKE MUSIC OR LITERATURE?
Indeed. I’m currently looking at the work of Sofia Coppola, and that’s informing my design, silhouettes and colour palette. Another recent muse was the Maharaja of Indore, Yashwant Rao Holkar II, who was photographed by the likes of American visual artist Man Ray. The Maharaja had incredible taste and was a major international collector of the finest art, jewellery, furniture and cars, all in Art Deco style. Commissioners range from Bentley to Le Corbusier – he was a real patron of the Modernist movement. It feels like he would be a client of clothsurgeon…
“Another recent muse was the Maharaja of Indore, Yashwant Rao Holkar II”
CLOTHSURGEON
YOUR RED CARPET LOOKS ARE BECOMING INFAMOUS, AND YOU RECENTLY ALSO DRESSED NAS FOR HIS UK CONCERTS. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU CREATE BESPOKE LOOKS FOR THE CELEBRITIES YOU WORK WITH, WHILE KEEPING THE BRAND DNA LOUD AND CLEAR?
Nas at the Royal Albert Hall – the greatest MC of all time, performing the iconic rap album Illmatic in front of a live orchestra – truly epitomises what we do as a brand. It felt so right to dress him for this historic moment. We have worked with April Roomet, his stylist, for over 12 years, and I came up with two looks that personified a combined sense of respect for the venue with Nas’s attitude and flair. We made a bespoke tux in bottle-green velvet, with personalised buttons and lining, and a collarless MA-1 in NY Mets blue and orange as a second look. It really showed the spectrum of the clothsurgeon brand – we bring two worlds together to exist in harmony.
IS THERE ANY YOUNG TALENT THAT YOU’D LOVE TO SEE IN CLOTHSURGEON?
I would love to do a series of bespoke looks with British talent from an array of industries, from film to sport to music to art. I’d like to see their take on a silhouette inspired by their world. When I say young British talent right now, I think of David Jonsson, Central Cee, Tom Holland. I feel they harness the juxtaposition of the clothsurgeon brand.
WHAT’S EXCITING YOU OUTSIDE OF THE FASHION WORLD?
Sport continues to excite me. It’s such an essential part of life, and participating from a young age teaches you so much – discipline, working as an individual, and as part of a team. I also love jewellery; Castro Smith’s work is so beautiful, and we’ve spoken about creating a bespoke piece soon. Then, food! I could talk for ages about my love for food and cooking. Our regular haunt is Berenjak, where our friend Kian has done such an amazing job in reinterpreting the classic eateries of Iran. Finally, vintage cars. I love my 1987 Mercedes 500 SL, and I have a wish list that I’m slowly working towards.
Photography by Freddie Payne.
